Gestures and Hands in Art Some were better than others!

Rudolph Wittkower’s definitions of gesture in art "We may perhaps differentiate between three pictorial types of gestures, namely between descriptive, symbolic, rhetorical.” "Descriptive gestures, like pointing, elucidate a story or narrative and are therefore needed when painting or sculpture have to deal with a literary theme.” "Rhetorical gestures reflect and illuminate emotional conditions.” "Symbolic gestures belong mainly to pre-Renaissance art; from the 15th century on they are, as a rule, confined to such attitudes as blessing. I call this symbolic gesture because, in contrast to the rhetorical ones, we are faced with a code which must be known in order to be understood." Rudolf Wittkower, Allegory and the Migration of Symbols (New York: Thames and Hudson, 1977): 148.

Gestures in Art 16th century Mannerist art and 17th century Baroque art depict figures whose gestures are active, even vigorous, and often communicate strong emotions. The lively gestures of the figures in Mannerist and Baroque art contrast with gestures of figures in Renaissance art of the previous 15th and early 16th centuries, whose bodies are posed to tend to be composed with more order and harmony. Look at Mannerist and Baroque works by El Greco, Alessandro Vittoria, Bronzino, and Peter Paul Rubens

Introducing Hand Gestures Speaking with our hands is something most of us do without even thinking – it just happens! Hand gestures can mean so many different things to different people in different situations. Think about a simple wave of the hand – what could that mean? Of course, the meaning differs depending on the speech which accompanies it, body language and facial expressions and also, importantly, the cultural, social, geographical and historical context of the gesture.

Hands in Art Throughout the history of art hands in particular have played an important role in communicating meaning within paintings. The symbolism and gestures have changed their meaning as time has gone on, so sometimes there are messages buried within paintings which we need certain knowledge to understand, but which people long ago would have known immediately.

Hands in Renaissance Art Leonardo da Vinci employed specific symbolism within the hand gestures in his paintings. This symbolism would have been easily understood by people in the 15th Century. Much of his work portrayed religious stories, because that was the tradition at the time and most art would have been commissioned by the church.

The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci In this painting, hand gestures give lots of information about the figures. The Virgin Mary’s outstretched hand protects the young baby John the Baptist, while his hands are closed in the form of a blessing towards the young baby Jesus, whose raised finger shows him blessing John in return. Mary’s left hand hovers protectively above Jesus and the angel points at John. The relationships and symbolism of each member of the group is clearly communicated through their hand gestures, some of which we instantly recognise and others may take a little more knowledge. For example, did you know that Jesus’s finger gesture symbolised a blessing?.

Raphael: Madonna and Child Paintings Raphael’s art came to represent an ideal of perfection, the very definition of easy grace and harmonious balance. In his many paintings of the Madonna with the Baby Jesus, he intertwines the two figures with their mutual gestures suggesting the bond, respect and interdependence between the two figures. Hand gestures are combined with directional glances and postures to focus the attention of the viewer onto specific parts of his paintings.

Hand Gestures in Baroque Art Hand gestures in Baroque Art at times have very specific meaning. For example, in the work of Giorgione (one of the most prominent Baroque artists) we see portraits of women shown with one hand resting on her belly, whose rounded contours also suggest that she is expecting a child. However, it is possible that the symbolic gesture of a hand laid on the belly does not indicate that the sitter is pregnant, but rather predicts, or promises, a fertile marriage blessed with a large number of children.

Some who weren’t so good! Even the most famous and sought-after artists had their weaknesses. Have you ever wondered why some portraits show people wearing gloves or have their hands hidden in pockets or waistcoats? Have a good look at some of the hands in paintings by Thomas Hudson and Rembrandt – you’ll soon spot why they weren’t always a main part of the painting.

Batoni’s Hands and Posture Batoni, on the other hand(!), had really mastered the tricky business of painting hands and used them to add movement, meaning and feeling to his portraits. His portraits aimed to make the sitters look grand and truly ‘at home’ in the splendour of Rome. His use of hand gestures and postures helped this. The term “Swagger” portraiture sums this up – look at the confidence which this pose expresses (see next slide) – the hand on hip and open stance tells us the sitter feels very much in charge and at ease. Imagine the type of posture that would make the sitter look threatened and anxious – is it the opposite of the swagger posture? In the portrait of John Rolle Walter, the hands are open and wide apart (see next slide) – what do you think that represents?